During both of the Dallas Cowboys' National Football League (NFL) playoff games this season, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie was prominently shown on national television celebrating in the owner's box alongside Cowboys' owner Jerry Jones. Governor Christie's office has acknowledged that the governor's tickets and travel to the games were paid for by Mr. Jones, but insists that the trips did not run afoul of any ethical obligations.

New Jersey ethics rules subject public officials to "a zero tolerance policy for acceptance of gifts ... that are in any way related to [an officeholder's] official duties." Mr. Christie himself has cited these same ethics rules in barring other state officials from getting special access to tickets to events at state-owned arenas.

In this case, Mr. Christie argues that the gifts were legal, under an executive order signed by a previous governor that allows governors to "accept gifts, favors, services, gratuities, meals, lodging or travel expenses from ... personal friends that are paid for with personal funds." Mr. Christie contends that Mr. Jones is his personal friend, and extended the offer knowing that Mr. Christie is a lifelong fan of the Cowboys.

However, as many news reports have pointed out in recent days, the Christie administration has given millions of dollars worth of tax subsidies to the NFL, and the NFL does significant business in the state of New Jersey. The Dallas Cowboys are, clearly, an NFL club, and therefore profit from the subsidies granted by the state.

Further, according to 2013 Port Authority of New York and New Jersey press release, Mr. Christie encouraged the Port Authority to award a concessions contract for 1 World Trade Center (the Freedom Tower) to a company co-owned by Mr. Jones. The press release specifically indicated that the Port Authority did in fact grant the contract to the company, Legends, following a call from Mr. Christie and New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.

Mr. Christie has since denied that he knew Mr. Jones at the time the contract was awarded. "When he got the contract, I knew nothing about it. I didn't know him," said the governor. However, in a television interview last month, Mr. Christie said that he became friends with Mr. Jones "over the last five years."

In the wake of these allegations, the American Democracy Fund, which supports Democratic political candidates and conducts opposition research on Republicans, has asked two state ethics panels and U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Paul Fishman to investigate whether the governor's relationship with Mr. Jones violated state ethics rules. Mr. Christie, a Republican, says any concern over their relationship is "just craziness."

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